FAQ

Sunflowers at Grafton provide a caring, stimulating and safe place for children and we want our parents to feel secure that their child is happy and well looked
after with us. Please find below a list of our frequently asked questions:

How do I join Sunflowers at Grafton?

When you join Sunflowers at Grafton we need you to complete and return a registration form with your £25 registration fee (please note that this is not refundable).

We operate on a first come first served basis. If we are unable to offer a place straight away then your child’s name will be on the waiting list. We will keep to that order and offer places to those at the top of the list as they become available..

When are you open?

We are open from 7.50am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, for 51 weeks of the year excluding public holidays. Sunflowers at Grafton is closed for Christmas and New Year from the 24 December to 1 January inclusive.

Very occasionally we may have unplanned closures for circumstances beyond our control when it is deemed unsafe for the setting to be open, for example if we have no water, power or heating. Unplanned closures due to circumstances beyond our control are not refundable, but alternative sessions will be offered to you.

If we schedule a closure for any reason there will be no charge for sessions booked on those days.

Do you offer a settling in period?

We offer two 2 hour settling sessions before your start date. Each family is unique and we take this into account when settling your child with us. We consider your needs and agree how the settling time is managed – you may stay as long as you like or you can drop and go. Either way we work out what’s best for child and parent.

How do I book a place at Sunflowers?

A place will be booked for your child for the days and times you request. We require a minimum of 1 month written notice to permanently reduce or cancel your child’s normal booking. Increasing your booking is subject to availability.
We are not able to swap days unless it is a permanent change and we have availability. Additional hours are booked as whole hours – part-hours cannot be booked.

Can my neighbour pick up my child?

We will only allow your child to leave Sunflowers at Grafton with an appointed person authorised in your child’s registration form unless you have informed us otherwise. We may require evidence of their identity on arrival and an agreed password will be required.
If you know you are going to be late to pick up your child please let us know. We reserve the right to charge a late collection fee of £5.00 if you are 10 minutes late and a further fee of £5.00 for each subsequent 5 minutes.

Health and safety queries

If you have any health and safety queries please arrange to meet with the Childcare Manager. We ask all parents to make sure doors and internal safety gates are closed when entering or leaving the building. Only members of staff are permitted to open the front door to verify the identity of all those entering the building.

Can I use Childcare Vouchers at Sunflowers?

Many of our existing families use childcare vouchers and we are set up with all the major voucher providers.

What do I do if my child is sick

If your child is unable to come in due to illness let us know as soon as you can and your message can be passed on to the relevant room.

Please do not send your child to Sunflowers at Grafton if they are unwell. Keep them at home until any risk of infection has passed to protect the well-being of other children in our care and our staff team. We request that children do not return to nursery until they have been symptom free for a minimum of 24 hours for a fever and 48 hours for sickness or diarrhoea.

Please advise us of any infectious ailment and where necessary we will inform all parents by email and via the notice board.

If children fall ill during the day or it becomes apparent that they are not well enough to stay we will contact you to arrange to collect them. If you are unavailable other authorised contacts will be called.

We reserve the right for a qualified member of staff to administer basic first aid and treatment where necessary. Parents will be informed of all accidents and will be asked to sign an accident form.

In the event of an emergency the child will be taken to the nearest hospital, accompanied by a senior member of staff who will act in ‘loco parentis‘ until you can get there.

How do I pay for each session?

Account statements are produced at the beginning of the month for all sessions booked for that month. Fees are payable by mid-month by bank transfer, childcare vouchers, cash or cheque. Additional sessions or hours will be charged monthly in arrears.

Fees are based on booked days not attendance. In the event of missed days due to sickness or holidays we are not able to offer a refund. We do not charge for public holidays or the Christmas closure days.

If you are unable to settle your account in full by the settlement date please get in touch and we can agree alternative payment terms.

If fees remain outstanding at the end of the month without prior agreement we will give you a gentle reminder. When fees remain outstanding without agreement we reserve the right to levy a weekly charge of £10.00 as long as the account remains outstanding and your place at Sunflowers may be suspended while we wait for payment. If fees remain unpaid after 2 months we may seek to recover payment via legal
processes.

We qualify for Government Funding, how do I get this deducted from our fees?

Parents who qualify for funding will have this amount deducted from the invoice.

What do I do if we would like to leave and terminate our contract with Sunflowers?

One month written notice is required if your child is leaving us. If this is not possible a normal monthly fee will be charged in lieu of notice. Sunflowers at Grafton reserves the right to suspend or terminate care of any child without notice should it be deemed necessary for the overall safety and well-being of other children in our care or our staff team.